Windmill



Dec. 17,` 1935.

H. SCHLCHTER WINDMILL Originalv Filed Oct. 20, 1930 @nm/MAN Patented Dec. 1 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Continuation of application Serial No. 489,932, October 20, 1930. This application November 5,

1934, Serial No. 751,623

Claims.

My invention relates to windmills and more particularly to windmills of the types in which the mechanism operates in a bath of oil which is covered by a metal hood or cowl to prevent hoods, and hoods for similar mechanisms, is considerably different from that encountered in other housing means, for rautomobile transmissions, and other mechanisms of this class. A

, windmill hood is generally composed of light or 'sheet metal, and is rapidly cooled or heated by the suns rays. Where heavy casings are employed, such as occur in other connections than windmill casings or hoods, the speed with which changes in temperature in the interior of the casing occur are greatly reduced, and the question of water deposition within the hoods or casings is not so important because the problem is not ordinarily present. In automobile-engine crankcase ventilators the movement of the parts in the `crankcase is such as to cause a circulation of air which will prevent `the accumulation of moisture.

Moisture in windmill casings or hoods occurs mostly on still clear days where the temperature changes are great. It is not uncommon Ato find a very considerable collection of moisture after a still clear day. This moisture tends to rust the parts and interfere with the eflicient operation of the mill, materially shortening its life.

It is not feasible to rely on the blowing of wind through some opening which leads into the interior of the casing, because this method does not eliminate the condensation of moisture on clear still days, which are the most dangerous, and also because such openings which are adapted to send a blast of air into the casing or hood also inject dust into the casing, which is harmful to the moving parts.

The primary purpose of my invention is Athe provision of means for minimizing the condensation of water vapor within the hood.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description,

.I will now referto Athe drawing, in which The figure is a vertical section showing the various parts of a windmill and showing my invention applied thereto.

Nearly all windmills include a reciprocating pump rod, a rotatable shaft which is driven by a wind wheel, and connections between the .Wind driven shaft and the pump rod for translating the rotary motion of the wind driven shaft into Vertical rectilinear reciprocating motion. The mechanism forperformlng this change inmotion 5 varies in innumerable ways and my drawing illustrates merely one of the mechanisms for performing this function.

In my drawing the numeral I 0 indicates the wind driven shaft. This has secured thereto fa l0 pinion l l meshing with a gear l2. The pitman f3 has an eccentric connection at 14 with the-gear l2. The opposite extremity of the pitman I3 has a pivotal connection at I5 with the cross head lli. It will thus beevident that the pump rod I8 l5 is movable up and down in response tothe rotary movement of the wind driven shaft I0.

Windmills also include a head 20 which constitutes a lubricant reservoir as well as 'the Isupport for the working parts of the windmill. The 20 head 2i) is supported on the rotatable tubular stem 2l which is hollow for receiving the upper portion of the pump rod. The stem 2| extends to some distance above the level of the lubricant within the head 2li and it is usually open at its side at p25 22 for the passage of one or more controls such as the pull-out chain 23.

In order to prevent the entrance of dust, grit, snow, rain, and Yother substances which would interfere with the successful operation of the 30 windmill, the windmill is further provided with a hood or cowl 24 which is fitted rather closely to the head 20 as shown in the drawing, a gasket or packing 25 being employed for this purpose. The splashing of the oil within the head causes 35 some of the oil to come in contact with the 4lower rim of the hood and to thus hermetically seal the connection between the hood and the head.

Thus air trapped in the ordinary windmill hood or cowl has a moisture content and under 40 changes in temperature the dew point of the trapped air is reached and moisture is deposited within the cowl, rusting the mechanism and greatly shortening the life ofthe mill.

I have found that if I provide an opening high 45 in the casing or cowl and another low 'opening therein, I provide meansfor permitting the air to circulate within the cowl and prevent ythegaccumulation of moisture. The phenomenon is somewhat similar to that which is encountered 50 in automobiles, where the automobile top will accumulate dew when standing still, but will not accumulate dew when moving. All of the factors which enter into this prevention of accumulation of moisture within the cowl or hood are 65 not herein discussed, but it is a practical fact that by providing the two openings I am enabled to have a circulation of air which prevents such moisture accumulation. The volume of air and hence its density of course varies with the absolute temperature where V1 and V2 are the volumes at temperatures T1 and T2 in the formula ma V2 T2 Since the temperature of the air within the windmill varies rapidly and is different a great Vpart of the time from the temperature of the air outside of the mill, the upper and lower openings provide means for circulation of air through the interior of the hood and moisture accumulation is inhibited.

As before stated, an examination of any enclosed windmill which has been in operation for more than only a very few days may reveal the presence of considerable quantities of water in the oil. This water causes the rusting of the parts and thus destroys the bearings. In winter this water usually freezes and it is thus apt to wreck-the windmill. As at present constituted, self-oiling windmills are very ineicient for delivering-the service which they should deliver, and which they would deliver if the water were kept out.

For minimizing the condensation and dis- V"charging humid air from within the enclosure v of the hood or cowl, I provide a ventilator 25 of any suitable kind which I provide with a cover 21. The cover is designed to permit the passage of air into and out of the enclosure, and to prevent Ythe entrance of dust, sleet, rain orpsnow in quantities sufficient to cause trouble. It is to be noted that this cover 21 largely prevents the action of wind in blowing air through the casing as it is not desirable, as before set forth, to blow air with its carried dust into the casing.

The bottom of the casing shows an opening 2l around thehollow stem which extends into the casing, and another opening 22 in the hollow stern in the lower part of the casing 24. The opening from the top of the hollow stem 2| leads through a suitable dust cap 23, which permits free circulation of air. Thus there is a free circulation of air' between the opening 26 and the opening under the cap 28, which provides a desirable circulation to prevent moisture accumulation. It is not desirable to have strainer screens at any of these openings. Such screens tend to prevent the free ow of air, and in general, especially when they become clogged with dust, do not per- `v `mit sufcient free flow to accomplish desirable results. t is the free flow of air which is permitted between the top of the casing and the bottom through openings located near the top and bottom that prevents condensation of moisyture within the casing.

It isevident that the same diiiculties may be v encountered in some pump jacks and other similar devices having working parts in an oil bath and having a hood covering the oil bath, and my '2-invention could therefore be applied to such structures. For this reason it is to be understood that the word windmill as I employ it in my claims, includes allV mechanical equivalents in which similar principles are involved. a

2. In a device of the class described, a casing i having an opening providing access to the air near its bottom part, a mechanism in the casing for translating rotary motion into reciprocating motion, a rod reciprocating through said opening' and operatively connected to said mechanism, and a breather aperture in the upper part of the casing whereby free flow of air through the casing can take place between the breather aperture and said opening, and moisture accumulation is prevented.

3. In a device of thecharacter described having an enclosure for the working parts thereof, the lower portion of said enclosure constituting a lubricant container whereby the working parts of the device will be lubricated, the upper portion of said enclosure surrounding a body of air, said casing having an opening in its lower part, an operative connection for power passing through said opening whereby air may obtain ingress and egress to the casing through said opening, and around said operative connection, and a breather passage near the top of the casing cooperating with said opening to provide free flow of air to prevent accumulation of moisture.

4. A windmill having an enclosure for the working parts, the upper portion of said enclosure functioning to protect the working parts of the windmill from the elements, the lower portion of said enclosure constituting a lubricant reservoir for the lubrication of the working parts of the windmill, said enclosure having an opening at the lower portion thereof, a power connection passing through said opening yet permitting ingress and egress of air through the opening, the upper portion of said enclosure having a breathing passageway therethrough near the top cooperating with said opening to provide free flow of air to prevent accumulation of moisture. I

5. A device of the character described having a driven shaft and a reciprocating rod and mechanism for translating the rotary motion of said driven shaft into rectilinear reciprocatory motion of the rod, a casing partially enclosing said mechanism and adapted to retain lubricant, said casing being provided with an opening in its lower part through which the rod can reciproerating with the opening to prevent moisture,

accumulation in the casing by providing free ow of air.

HENRY SCHLACHTER. 

